True business growth requires diversifying your efforts to grow and maintain customer relationships. Cross- and upsell opportunities are powerful tools for adding value to the Customer and cleaning business. A Forrester analyst found that increasing customer retention can boost your profits by 25%-95 %. Upselling and cross-selling account for approximately 10-30% of total business revenue.
Additionally, it’s easier and more cost-effective to sell additional services to existing customers than to acquire one. Businesses have a 60% to 70% probability of selling new services to existing customers and a 5-20% probability of acquiring prospects. Cross-selling and upselling cleaning services can increase your profit and save Time and money. These tips will help you increase cross-selling and upselling, whether your company is just or has been in operation for many years.
Cross-Selling: Selling a similar product or service to the original. You might offer to steam their carpets and clean their baseboards for an additional fee.
Upselling– Adding value by raising the quality or value of the service in return for a higher price. For example, a customer may request a basic cleaning, but their floors are very dirty. A grouting and floor stripping service is offered with waxing as an additional service.
To the Customer’s benefit
Customers must be engaged if they want to have a positive experience. We have all been in situations where salespeople try to sell us something we don’t need. This isn’t good for business, as you might imagine. Upselling does not have to be about making money. It can and should be for the Customer’s good.
Example: While cleaning a customer’s home, you notice clogged drains. Cross-selling a drain cleaning service is possible. While you make more money, the Customer leaves with more value. This value can help reduce the 50% customer loss per year that most cleaning companies suffer from poor service.
Takeaway: Don’t sell if the Customer loses. It is more important to provide value than force a sale.
Recognizing Opportunities
Upselling must be based upon customer needs and the benefits to the Customer from increasing their purchase’s value. This requires you to have a good understanding of your Customer and their needs. Crew leaders and team members must learn to recognize opportunities and understand buyer profiles.
- Understanding your Customer. It is possible to create buyer or customer profiles to give customers a better pitch. Some people value lower prices while others prefer higher quality. It is important to recognize the needs of different customers to increase your sales.
- The best ways to identify and capitalize on opportunities are by asking questions, being attentive, and using the knowledge and expertise of service personnel.
- Based on your need, you can upsell. Offer additional products or services if they are of benefit to you. Don’t offer it if it doesn’t benefit you.
Cross-sell and Common Upsell Opportunities
There are many ways to cross-sell or upsell. However, there are often similar motives. These are saving Time, saving money and adding value.
Saving Time Many people care about their Time. This makes it a great place to start an upsell. Your cleaning crew can recommend to the Customer to save time if they recognize another task.
Example “I noticed that the grouting in you office is moldy, and I can clean it for $1 per sq foot. This will save you from having to hire someone later.”
Saving Money is a big concern for many customers even though they have plenty of it. This is where you can identify opportunities to offer customers a great deal. For example, better service at a slightly higher price. You can offer discounts and specials when it is more practical to use another service or when the Customer can save money by purchasing a complete service.